The vast majority of leading impact investors across the world report that their impact investment portfolio performance is meeting or exceeding social, environmental, and financial expectations. This becomes clear from a survey of 99 fund managers, development finance institutions, foundations, diversified financial institutions, and other investors with at least USD 10 million committed to impact investment. In this video, Research Manager at the Global Impact Investing Network, Abhilash Mudaliar, talks about the main results from the research that GIIN conducted together with J.P. Morgan.

In the beginning of the 2000s Wal-Mart was involved in many controversies, regarding its environmental practices and its treatment of employees. Furthermore, Wal-Mart was not represented in the Domini or Calvert social indexes. In October 2005, Wal-Mart President and CEO Lee Scott held a speech that would announce a “green business revolution” within the company.

Managers matter. Organization capital, evident in management quality practices (MQP), plays a non-negligible role in shaping CSR performance. The research of Najah Attig (Saint Mary’s University, Canada) lends support to the proposition that organizations are reflections of their managers' talents and abilities. He also urges future research to closely consider the distinctive unobservable manager-specific influences in explaining cross-sectional differences in other corporate outcomes.

By boosting energy-efficiency measures and transitioning to low-carbon energy sources right now, U.S. businesses can curb climate change by reducing emissions by 3% annually and save costs up to $190 billion in 2020. This is the bold promise from a new report of CDP and World Wildlife Fund (WWF): “The 3% Solution: Driving Profits Through Carbon Reductions”. Built upon analysis by leading consulting firms and with many cost-saving examples from a variety of sectors, the study charts a pathway for companies that is both profitable and aggressive enough to protect the climate.

The tragic loss of life in a string of accidents in Bangladesh’s clothing factories has focused the world’s attention on supply chain issues in the textile industry. Analyst Elsa Ben Hamou Dassonville sheds light on how RobecoSAM evaluates clothing companies’ approach to managing their increasingly complex supply chains.

The high economic growth of China has not only brought wealth, but also a negative impact on the environment and natural resources. In this video, WANG Yuan, senior advisor of China Development Bank (CDB), talks about the development that since a few years, Chinese policy makers and government leaders are more concerned with the sustainability of the future economic and social development. She names: “Implementation of climate change policies, income distribution and, more importantly, through a structural adjustment of the economy.”

“Integrated reporting is about integrated thinking”, Paul Druckman, chief executive officer of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) explains in this video. He believes it is necessary to bridge the gap that remains because “only 20 percent of the value of an organization is represented in its annual return and financial statements”. Paul Druckman: “I intend integrated reporting to achieve an evolution within companies and organizations.”

“Fundamental business models must fundamentally change. In order to do that, you need to rewire business,” says Ernst Ligteringen. The chief executive of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) says companies need to focus on the key issues: the materiality issues[1]. In this video he explains why GRI’s new G4 Guidelines for sustainability reporting can help companies focus on what’s most important and relevant for their business strategy. “Both in terms of risks and main problems that a company is facing — every company has those in the real world — but also in terms of opportunities; where are the value drivers for the future?”